Vladislav Šćepanović: To Have or To Be

Anya Tish Gallery is thrilled to announce To Have or To Be, the inaugural U.S. solo exhibition of Serbian artist, Vladislav Šćepanović.  January 5 – February 17, 2018.  Opening Reception on Friday, January 5, from 6:00pm to 8:30pm.

Representing Serbia in this year’s 57^th Venice Biennale, Šćepanović holds no bars when it comes to criticizing the media and turning consumer culture on its head through his Pop Art-like paintings.

Fueled by the study of media representation, the artist unapologetically speaks the language of mass culture to call for the return of consciousness and common sense in the modern world.

Using elements of film, advertising, fashion and other industries of modern culture, Šćepanović’s narrative works aim to criticize western world’s economic and political structures.  Well-known advertisements, logos, the familiar subjects of family life and religious symbols are paired to visually communicate the materialistic realities of everyday life. The works dominate the space and demand that we look to the visual vernacular of mass-communication we are exposed to every day and question the authenticity of our beliefs.

About the artist:
Vladislav Šćepanović, painter, academic and writer received his PhD in 2009 at the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia.  He has served as the Director of the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Belgrade, Serbia and is currently a Professor at his alma mater. Šćepanović most recently represented Serbia at the 57^th Venice Biennale as part of Enclavia, 2017.

His work has been shown in various venues and art institutions, among them the Yugoslav Film Archive, Belgrade, Serbia; Yugoslav Cultural Center, Paris, France; City Gallery Fonticus, Croatia; and the Gallery Barsky, Hoboken, New Jersey. Scepanovic is the 2001 award winner for painting in “BELI ANDEO / White Angel”, Mileseva, Serbia. In 2010 he published the art and media theory book The Media Spectacle and Destruction.